Latest news with #ShirleyMeng
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists make groundbreaking discovery that could make drivers' old electric vehicles like new: 'This changes our understanding of fundamental science'
University of Chicago researchers discovered a new type of material that has the potential to restore old EV batteries to perform like new again. The newly developed materials respond uniquely to electricity, heat, and pressure. This scientific breakthrough is changing how scientists think about thermodynamics and offers hope of revolutionizing industries such as construction and electric vehicle manufacturing. As SciTechDaily reported, researchers from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering collaborated with visiting scientists from the University of California, San Diego, to make the discovery. Their newly developed materials expand under pressure, shrink when heated, and expand when crushed. The materials exhibit zero thermal expansion and negative compressibility properties and expand when other materials shrink. They defy conventional physics expectations, with inverted reactions and a performance that's the exact opposite of existing alternatives. "This changes our understanding of fundamental science," one involved professor, Shirley Meng, said. The research team became excited about the possibility of versatile applications and published their findings in the journal Nature. One of the most promising applications is with EV batteries. One researcher offered a theoretical example of how an electric airplane's walls could also be its battery with a material that can resist heat and pressure. Such an idea would create a lighter and more efficient plane while keeping battery parts safe from temperature and pressure changes despite altitude shifts. The researchers also noted opposite electrochemical energy voltage reactions with their new materials, which have EV battery applications. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. They believe this development could reset aging EV batteries and revive them to their original performance. This means that an EV with an old battery could reach approximately its original range before needing a charge even after many years of being on the road. "You don't have to send the battery back to the manufacturer or to any vendors. You just do this voltage activation," said Minghao Zhang, a co-corresponding author of the work. "Then, your car will be a new car. Your battery will be a new battery." This innovation could tremendously impact the future of EVs and improve their sustainability. Longer-lasting batteries may entice more people to drive EVs, which means less air pollution from exhaust fumes that harm people's lungs and overheat the planet. Scientific developments such as this and those that expand battery lifespans, boost EV range capabilities, and improve safety features are crucial for achieving the broader sustainability goal of clean energy driving. Looking ahead, the researchers who developed the new materials plan to use a form of chemistry that involves losing and gaining electrons to examine the materials further. They want to explore the boundaries of their new materials and how they can be successful in various applications. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists just made a groundbreaking discovery that could dramatically improve EV performance: 'This could lead to a big breakthrough'
Scientists based in a Midwestern laboratory are tweaking textures in an effort to improve battery chemistry. And while it might sound like part of an art project, the texture manipulation happening at the University of Chicago could improve power pack performance by revamping a historically overlooked part of the units, according to a news release. What's more, better batteries can improve electric vehicle performance as well as energy storage capacity. "Soft metals like lithium and sodium have excellent properties for being batteries' negative electrodes, with lithium considered as an ultimate anode material for future high-energy rechargeable batteries," professor Shirley Meng said. "There is a gap in understanding the grain orientation, also known as the texture, how such [a] factor impacts the rechargeable metal battery performance." As batteries charge and discharge, ions move between the anode and cathode through the electrolyte, as described by the U.S. Department of Energy. Researchers worldwide are hunting lower-cost, higher-performing materials to build next-generation packs. It seems the surface composition may play an overlooked role. The Chicago team worked with experts from Massachusetts-based Thermo Fisher Scientific. The experts found that packs with certain textures performed better. The crucial result highlighted a scenario wherein "atoms" move quickly on the soft anode surface. "Since batteries with lithium or sodium metal rely on these textures for favored rate capability, the team wondered if tweaking the texture of soft metals could improve power densities," associate professor Minghao Zhang, the study's first author, said. The team added a thin layer of silicon between the lithium metal and the current collector to achieve a texture change, which was studied with highly advanced imaging, providing a unique view of the anode surface, all according to the release. "This change improved the battery's rate capability by nearly 10 times in all-solid-state batteries using lithium metal," Meng said. If you were going to purchase an EV, which of these factors would be most important to you? Cost Battery range Power and speed The way it looks Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. Solid-state batteries use a hard electrolyte instead of the common liquid version. While large-scale manufacturing for solid-state packs has been a hurdle, continued intrigue is based on better safety, a lighter weight, faster charge speeds, and longer lifespans, Top Speed reported. The expert group is working with South Korea's LG Energy Solution to commercialize the tech. LG said in the release that it considers investing in breakthroughs important to stay ahead of the ever-evolving battery sector. The investments are pivotal to continuing the worldwide switch to cleaner energy sources, a move crucial to curbing heat-trapping air pollution. Long-term fume exposure is linked by Denmark health experts to increased risk for dementia. The World Health Organization reported that nearly all of Earth's population breathes air that doesn't meet its standards, for reference. If the newly textured Chicago anodes can produce a better energy storer, the results could impact homes from coast to coast. Batteries that can store intermittent renewable electricity for longer stretches can help to expand use and alleviate grid demand. Programs including community solar already offer a way to tap abundant sun energy by leasing service from nearby solar farms. The programs can save you hundreds of bucks a year on your energy bills without the need to install equipment at home. With improved storage, greater amounts of sunpower would be available for longer time periods. On the battery front, the Chicago researchers think that sodium metals will respond to texture changes as well, opening the door for more innovations to come. "This means that using sodium as the battery's anode in all-solid-state batteries could lead to a big breakthrough in future energy storage," Zhang said. Join our free newsletter for weekly updates on the latest innovations improving our lives and shaping our future, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
